Trapped in Reality
by Nekkyou Hiryuu
Summary: Meet Teo. He has dreams. Dreams that seem real. Dreams that may BE real...
1. The Lost

YAH! *tackles readers* BEHOLD! Now that Draika seems to be tapering off, I thought it was time to start another one! Yu-Gi-Oh!, as you have noticed already, or should have. ^^ This is a story of a boy named Teo. He has dreams. Dreams that seem almost real. Dreams that may BE real. Dreams that--  
  
Shishiwakamaru: *gags Kelsey*  
  
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~Trapped In Reality~  
  
Chapter One: The Lost  
  
"Your move, Teo'kanu." The voice of Stophes was harsh on Teo's ears. He narrowed his eyes, drawing a card.  
  
~The Axe of Spirits!~ He gaped at the powerful Equip card. ~This could win it…~ Teo looked back up at Stophes. His surprise must have showed, because the night's opponent wore a face that was carefully blank.  
  
"I suppose…" Stophes raised a palm, and all glowed scarlet, then black. Someone was making the most unpleasant noise….  
  
"How many times do I have to TELL you, Teo?! UP!" His big sister Leita flung open the window's thick curtains, letting sunlight stream into the room. Teo gave a small cry, retreating under the covers. "Up!" Leita repeated, tugging the covers down.  
  
Then he remembered.  
  
"School!" Teo leapt out of bed, nearly knocking his redhead sister off her feet. "Thanks, Lei!"  
  
Leita blinked. "My brother, the oddball." She smiled anyhow. "You really like that place, huh?"  
  
"Yeah." Teo found a pair of socks that didn't smell half as bad as the others, pulling them on. "But it's easy stuff, Lei."  
  
"Shirt!" Leita reminded him sharply. "I guess I'm not as smart as you, kid." How could Teo enjoy school, for a kid his age? Normally highschool kids weren't so enthused about learning…or spending time with their big sisters, either. But Teo was different, she supposed.  
  
Teo grinned impishly, pulling on a t-shirt for the warm October morning. "Sorry. I suppose I shouldn't rub it in your face, but…" He shrugged off her sharpness, dashing into the kitchen. "Have you seen my deck?!" The cry came suddenly from the pantry. "I left it on the counter last night…"  
  
"You can go to school without it, kid." Leita appeared almost instantly in the doorway, dark brown eyes darting about to catch sight of the wayward deck. "It won't kill you."  
  
"Are you sure?" Teo stuck out his tongue, throwing on a light jacket. Its blue color matched his eyes almost perfectly.  
  
Leita smiled. "I'll look for it before I leave for work."  
  
"And after?" Her fourteen-years old brother prompted.  
  
"I'll have found it by then, I promise." She winked, tossing him an orange from the refridgerator. "Don't keel over."  
  
"Uh…sure." Teo stared at the fruit, tossing it from hand to hand.  
  
~A fruit-based card…~ He thought for a moment, before realizing he was spacing out again.  
  
"Get outta here." His sister waved a hand, opening a manilla folder stuffed with numbered papers. "You'll be late."  
  
He didn't want to leave without his deck, but somehow Teo managed to drag his feet out the door somewhat quicker than he'd have liked. The sun was barely up, still pale yellow behind gray clouds. The sky was considerably duller.  
  
"Rain!" Someone tackled Teo from behind as soon as he set foot on the sidewalk. "It's gonna raiiiiiiin…"  
  
Teo rolled his eyes. "I saw you coming."  
  
"Did not!" Nekura stuck out her tongue. Teo was a year younger than her, but in the same grade. "You flinched." Her violet eyes were accusing, squinting from behind long brown fringe, a shade or two darker than Teo's own hair.  
  
Not much in the mood to trade their daily banter, Teo shrugged. "Okay…you got me, Nekura."  
  
Nekura stopped dead in her tracks. "…Nekky. I'm Nekky." She poked him in the forehead, like she was trying to stir up his mind. "Are you okay, Teo?"  
  
Teo's eyes strayed to her belt, where Nekura had her deck strapped, like always. They dueled often, but she always changed her deck around so he never knew what he'd be up against the following day. "I lost my deck."  
  
"…again?" Nekura showed no sympathy. "You poor boy." She rolled her eyes, continuing to skip along beside him. "Don't be a splinter, you'll find it. It's probably in your black hole sock drawer." Everything went into Teo's sock drawer…everything but socks.  
  
"Yeah." He smiled, looking up at the sky. It was still warm, but he felt a raindrop on his nose. "Let's get going!" The two sprinted forward…he would have won if Nekura hadn't hit him behind with one of her shoes, breezing past him when he whirled to see what had 'attacked' him.  
  
"Have any more dreams?" She asked a few minutes later, kicking her locker open.  
  
Before Teo could reply, a small avalanche of paper and various other school supplies flew out of Nekura's book compartment.  
  
"…hey, don't touch!" She grabbed the papers back as soon as he picked some up. "Mine." Nekura stuck out her tongue for the second time that morning, stuffing all the wayward leaves into a plastic bag at the bottom of HER black hole. It was Nekky's personal theory that everyone, at some time or another, had a special place all their own where things went in…but not out. "So…the dreams?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, yeah!" He brightened, watching his friend gather a few books.  
  
"Stophes again?" Nekura grimaced.  
  
"Of course." Teo raised an eyebrow, following her across the courtyard that connected to the hallway that housed their first class. "I drew the Axe, Nekky."  
  
"Ooooh…" Nekura almost tripped over a corner of the rock garden, so transfixed on Teo's story. "I'll bet you beat him good! It's about time, you've been having that dueling dream for HOW long, now?"  
  
"No." Teo sighed, stepping over a small pile of sticks stacked in the middle of the path. "He did something…something like magic…and then Lei dragged me up."  
  
"Leita had to drag you out of bed? For school?" Nekura pushed through a cluster of seniors, finally making it to class. "Some dream." She whistled, plunking down her books with a loud noise right on a desk--Mr. Yoshitaka believed in sitting wherever one pleased--scuffing a boot toe on the carpet. "I still don't get why boys only have to wear a jacket for the uniform. Half the girls don't wear their own uniforms anyhow!" She pouted, looking down at her own ensemble: a white blouse and a pleated blue skirt, along with the same jacket Teo wore.  
  
"Because girls must look pretty." Teo made his voice high-pitched, mimicking Nekura's mother.  
  
"Don't mock the mother." Nekura grumbled, slouching in her seat. "She may have hidden a camera in my fringe today."  
  
Teo shook his head, finally sitting down as the rest of the class entered. Math. Geometry, to be exact. He sat back and smiled as Mr. Yoshitaka took roll, then launched into a complicated lesson involving chords and points of intercept. At one point the teacher caught Nekura stabbing her textbook with her compass in frustration, sending her out to get some air. Teo sighed, wishing his friend could learn better study habits. Not that HE studied…but Nekky could really stand for some.  
  
Handing in a sheet of lined paper neatly displaying the circles they had to do various geometrical things with, he was free…until the bell rang to begin second period. Teo waited for a full five minutes at Nekura's locker, but she wasn't there.  
  
"Maybe she had her books all with her…" He mused, scrambling into the nearby class just as Ms. Yori was taking roll. She gave him a disapproving look, but continued.  
  
They had been assigned a project the very first day of school: Choose a book. Read it. Report in detail on every single chapter. Hand it in November first, neatly written or typed.   
  
~Too easy.~ Teo thought, opening his book. He'd chosen something that looked halfway interesting, something about a fantasy world parallel to earth but not quite the same.  
  
"What are you reading?" Riley leaned across the table to peer at the cover ot Teo's book. Riley, a boy who spoke to everyone whether they replied or not, was nevertheless very popular.  
  
Teo sighed. "A book." He adjusted the cover of "The Golden Compass" so Riley could see it, then continued reading. The most annoying thing on earth, other than Nekky during a sugar rush, was someone asking about your book when you were clearly trying to read. He ground his teeth, and was very relieved when the bell rang, letting him leave Riley far behind in the crowded halls.  
  
Nekura was not at her locker. Departing more quickly for his least favorite class, Teo was beginning to get more than a little worried. It wasn't like Nekky to skip school, even if excused briefly by a teacher.  
  
"Come on, Teo! You can go farther than that!" Mr. Korosaya called up to him.  
  
Teo was on the rope. In gym. The favorite class of many…but not his, unfortunately. The ceiling seemed miles away, but so did the ground. Fighting the blush that was slowly rising up his face, Teo slid slowly back down, avoiding the mocking eyes of the infinitely more athletic students. He managed to get along for the rest of the hour, wishing Nekura was there. She wasn't much good, either. But it always helped to have someone share the misery.  
  
"Almost lunch…" Teo's stomach grumbled as he stood by Nekura's locker. "Where are you?" He shoved his hands into his pockets, eternally aware of his deck's absence.  
  
A student followed Teo to the café, disappearing as quickly as the other students in the congested halls.  
  
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Fringe=bangs, for all those unknowing. ~.^ "The Golden Compass" is © P. Pullman. ^^ I know the friendship between Teo and Nekky might appear to be something more to those of you used to sappy fics, but I assure you that there will be no romance between the two. They haven't even thought about it. O.o   
  
So?! You think…what? Styling after buddy Kia, I shall give sneak peek at next chapter:  
  
Lunch! Oh, the greasiness…  
  
Who is Stophes, exactly? (and why is he possessing Nekky?!) 


	2. Lady Fear

*claps* Thank you Solus and Kia! ^^ You rox mah sox. Next chapter…woot. Am trying to get it up, so you don't think it's gone dead. Or something. *blink* What kind of author would I be if I let a story die? …well?  
  
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~Trapped In Reality~  
  
Chapter Two: Lady Fear  
  
Teo blinked, rapping his fingers on the plastic lunch tray as he waited in line. It actually smelled decent today, one of the reasons why he was so anxious to get lunch. But the line was long, and the issue with people cutting in line didn't help. He frowned, examining the tiled floor. His stomach growled angrily, and he was sure every person in line could hear it. Slowly turning red, Teo looked around at everyone. Many were already seated, enjoying their lunches with friends.  
  
"Hey!" A loud shout came from a table or two away. "You watch it, girl!" One of the tougher students had leapt up, grabbing the offender and shaking her roughly. Teo startled.  
  
"Nekura?" He blinked. Nekky was lippy sometimes, but she had more sense than to mess with Damien. "Hey!" He hesitated before giving up his hard-earned spot in line, raising the tray like a bludgeon. As soon as he would have struck the boy, Nekura raised a hand.  
  
Teo stopped. So did everyone else. No sounds issued from any corner of the cafeteria. No voices, noises, or even the buzz of flies' wings could be heard. The students were frozen in the moment, expressions fixed. Nekura easily removed herself from Damien's grasp, eyes colorless.  
  
"Nekky, what happened?" Teo demanded. "What is this?"  
  
When Nekura spoke, it was a voice very unlike her own…harsh and gravelly with time. "Come to the shadows, Teo'kanu. I am waiting."  
  
Shivers went up Teo's spine as the hair on the back of his neck prickled up. "What do you want?" He asked, voice more than a little shaky.  
  
"Only you, shadow spirit." It laughed, the hell -sent noise echoing horribly off every surface. Nekura extended a hand, mocking. "Come." Her eyes flashed, malice in every expression.  
  
Something clicked in Teo's brain. He'd heard that voice too many times to ignore it again, ever again. This had to be a dream…a dream gone horribly wrong.  
  
"I'm real, Teo!" The thing shrieked, lunging forward to grab the boy's wrist, digging animal-like claws into his flesh to draw droplets of blood. Teo winced, struggling in the fierce grasp. "It's no use."  
  
He braced his legs, twisting his arm away with a gasp of pain. It was no longer Nekura that stood before him, but something much worse. Something that might have been Nekura at one point, but was too twisted and deformed now to ever be sure. Her eyes were sunken in, and seemed to pulse with an unnatural light. A dark gray robe billowed around her, large enough for three people if anyone would have cared to try that. Her claws were nearly three inches long, one set on a hand now dripping with blood. He could not see her feet, and was glad.  
  
"What did you do to her, Stophes?" He panted, nursing his lacerated arm. The blood loss was making him dizzy.  
  
"I have done nothing to your 'friend'." Stophes laughed. "From now on, this is her true form. My true form, I suppose…I had almost given up hope of finding a suitable host body, lad…but then I saw her in your mind, and knew I could easily lure you to me with her." He shook a finger, as if lecturing. "And I will."  
  
Teo could only look on, not quite comprehending. "..what…"  
  
"Follow me, Teo'kanu. Follow me to death and beyond." He beckoned, disappearing in a wave of black mist. Teo leaned forward, but could not see through the ominous cloud. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into it…  
  
…and immediately fell, cascading down an bottomless pit of echoing screams and moans of tortured souls, shadows and blood whirling before his eyes. His heart raced, and then the darkness entered his mind, silencing him until the time would be right for him to awaken.  
  
~*~  
  
"…Teo. Teo'kanu." Someone was pushing him roughly, whispering. Teo blinked, rolling over. It was dark and murky…the smell of rot and decay was everywhere and his arm felt like a wolf had gnawed on it. He groaned, sitting up.   
  
"Who's there?" He blinked, but saw no one. The voice did not speak again. Standing rather shakily, he felt a very comfortable weight on his belt. "My deck…" He mumbled, torn between happiness and despair. "I thought I left this behind." As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Teo could just make out the shape of a building before him, and other smaller ones. A town? Who would build in such a desolate area? It certainly looked deserted…  
  
He stood, brushing the dust off his clothes. Someone had bandaged his arm. Teo stared at it in wonder, poking it gingerly. It hurt.  
  
"Awake yet?"   
  
Teo stiffened.  
  
"Why did you bring me here?" He asked, voice falling flat. "Why?!"  
  
"Because I need you, Teo'kanu." Stophes laughed. Teo could almost see him, eyes mocking. "Now that we are here, I can take my natural form…soon I will explain. Your friend is here with me…so don't try to do anything rash." The voice vanished from his head, but an echo remained of a voice that was not the spirit's. Nekura? "…follow the jasper…"  
  
Teo looked around. Everything looked ominous, like the very environment was going to rise up and devour him.k  
  
"But he needs me." Teo said out loud, staggering up the steps of the large building. Maybe someone was inside… "He wouldn't let me die." Or would he? Maybe Stophes just needed him dead. Maybe he needed him alive. Better not to take chances.  
  
The doors on the old building came open with an ear-splitting screeching…before he even had a chance to reach for them. A bit more nervous, Teo stepped inside.   
  
A thick layer of dust covered the fine furniture that was shoved against the far wall. The hardwood floors, once probably shining and waxed, were chipped and splintering. The only thing that looked slightly used was the giant duel arena.  
  
"A giant duel arena." Teo repeated his thoughts out loud. It was all too unreal…  
  
A rustling in the rafters drew his deep blue eyes to look…but nothing was there. Probably just a bat, or a barn swallow. Teo sighed, turning back to exploring the huge room. The first thing he did was investigate the duel arena…it was surprisingly modern, with the latest technologies. He ran his hands over the sides as he stood at one of the duel stations, envious. He'd never had a chance to use something so grand…but even if it worked, who was there to fight?  
  
"You may fight me." Someone he hadn't noticed upon entering was standing at the opposite station. A woman with sallow skin and eyes like black holes stared across the hologram field at him. Her hair was unkempt, a dusty black. She wore a collared cape, tied with a blazing orange jewel. Something eerie lurked about her features, but Teo couldn't tell what. "I have been waiting so long for another…"  
  
"Fight you? You mean..duel?" He was cautious. She didn't seem aggressive…but everything might be different in this world. "Who are you?"  
  
"I am the undead of this town. I carry with me every person that has ever lived here: their memories, loves, thoughts and feelings…all of it. My name is Najaet." Najaet did not blink. "But you may call me Naja, for our purposes. Have you a deck?"  
  
"..I..I've got a deck…" Teo stammered, fumbling to place his precious deck in its groove. "How long have you been waiting for me?"  
  
Naja smiled, but her eyes showed no trace of emotion. "Five thousand years." 


End file.
